Licensing thresholds, workers' comp triggers, common public-bid insurance minimums, monopoly-WC quirks, and state-by-state pitfalls — with direct verification links to every state license board. Use this before you onboard a sub, write a prequalification, or accept a COI.
Reference data current as of 2026-06-04. Always verify with the linked state authority before relying on a number for procurement, prequalification, or legal use.
Insurance minimums look the same on a sample contract. The real risk is what changes by state — monopoly WC funds (WA, OH, ND, WY), out-of-state policy schedule mismatches (NY, FL), trade-only license states (TX, IL, OH), three-employee WC thresholds (GA, NC, VA), New York's Scaffold Law, California's DIR registration, and Massachusetts' ABC test. Every page below maps the variance.
Contractors State License Board (CSLB)
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — for trades; no statewide GC license
Florida DBPR — Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB)
No statewide GC license. Localities: NYC DOB, Westchester DCP, Suffolk DOL, Nassau DCA
Georgia State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors
No statewide GC license. Trades licensed by IDFPR (plumbers) and local (electrical). Roofing licensed statewide.
Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC)
Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I)
North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors (NCLBGC)
PA Attorney General — Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) Registration
MA Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) — CSL; Office of Consumer Affairs — HIC
NJ Division of Consumer Affairs — Home Improvement Contractor Registration
Virginia DPOR — Board for Contractors
No statewide GC license. Local jurisdictions (Denver, Aurora, Boulder, Colorado Springs). State licenses electricians + plumbers via DORA.
Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) — for trades; no statewide GC license
VendorShield checks every COI against your project state automatically — flagging missing Stop-Gap in monopoly-fund states, expired DIR registrations in California, missing DBL/PFL in New York, mismatched license names against the state board, and 40+ other state-specific traps.
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